Love Shots

The Guy behind the Wallpaper

"Class dismissed"

Agad agad nagsitayuan ang mga tao para maka alis. I glanced once more at my notes and prepared to leave. Aalis na sana ako ng may biglang huminto sakin.

"Saglit!"

Lumingon ako at nakitang may inaabot sakin iyong babaeng nasa likod ko laging umuupo tuwing Bio.

"You almost left your phone." She said as she handed me my phone. 

"Thanks." Sabi ko at kinuha ang phone ko mula sa kaniya. Out of reflex, I opened it to check the time like how I always do.

12:38 pm, March 17.

Umubo ang babaeng nag abot sa akin nito. She still hasn't left yet. 

"Ang gwapo naman niyang nasa wallpaper mo" Sabi niya at napangiti.

Tipid lamang akong ngumiti sa kaniya bilang ganti. I grabbed my bag and headed to the door. Little did I know, she was following me as I walked out.

"Sino iyon? Boyfriend mo?" Tanong niya habang sumasabay sakin sa paglakad.

I smiled sadly. "No" I replied. Nagpatuloy ako sa pag lalakad, hoping that she would leave me alone.

"Oh. Ex boyfriend, then?" she asked again.

Muntik na ko matawa. "Not even close" Iling ko.

She nodded and I assumed that she was going to stop asking me questions already. 

"Ah, so bestfriend?" she asked again. 

Again, I shook my head, "No".

Malapit na ako mainis. Hindi naman sa suplada ako pero hindi ko kasi siya gaano kilala and she's asking me all of these questions already. Or is that her way of being friendly and making friends with me? Gosh, am I being an introvert now?

Napahinto siya sa pag lalakad. Akala ko ay titigilan na niya ako so I keot walking without saying goodbye or what. Patuloy lang ako sa pag lalakad.

"Eh sino siya?" I heard her ask. Huminto ako at liningon siya.

"Someone I miss a lot" I replied. I smiled at her and continued walking. Hindi na niya ko muling sinundan dahil nakarating narin ako sa tapat ng aking next class.

"Hi!"

I looked back at my seat and saw the same girl again, talking to me. I replied with a smile as I sat down and opened my notes to review.

"So, sino nga siya?" tanong niya, again bugging me with that question. Talagang pursigido siya malaman dahil umupo pa siya sa tapat ng aking upuan para lang makausap ako.

"Ba't ba gusto mo malaman?" I asked, hoping not to offend her.

"Wala lang." Pagkibit balikat niya. "Naiintriga lang ako. Tsaka, I want to be close with you so come on!" she beamed. I took a deep breath as I realized that she would not stop bugging me until I tell her everything.

I sighed. "He's my first love." I whispered while I continued glancing at my book.

"Oh." She paused. Natulala siya sa aking sagot. Akala ko naman ay tapos na ang usapan pero as annoying as she was, it didn't stop there.

 "So tell me about it." She persistently said. Bumuntong hininga ako.

"I can't" I replied.

"Why?"

"Prof's here" I said as I pointed at our professor's direction. Rinig ko ang pagka dismaya niya at nagmadali paballik sa kaniyang upuan.

Napailing nalang ako at nagpatuloy sa pag aaral.

"So, no interruptions. Go make kwento na!"

I almost spat whatever I was drinking. She's here. She followed me! I watched her sit at the empy seat in front of me as she placed her stuff beside a nearby chair. She snapped her fingers and a waiter came near her. She told him her order so I assume that she'll be hanging out with me as I finish my thesis in our university's nearby coffee shop.

I sighed. "Ano ba gusto mo malaman?" Tanong ko.

"Everything!" She beamed. Umiling naman ako.

"I don't know where to start" I shrugged.

"Okay. Pano kayo nagkakilala?" Tanong niya.

"We met in high school."

"Ang vague mo naman." She rolled her eyes. "Tapos?"

Bumuntong hininga ako at nagpatuloy.

"He was a new student in our school. First year iyon nung lumipat siya. He quickly became close with everyone. Sa gwapo niyang iyon, of course madami siyang magiging kaibigan" I smiled as I remembered his first few days in Campus back when were still in high school.

She smiled too.

"We weren't close. Not even friends. Iyong tipong kahit magkaklase kami, walang pakielamanan. Wala lang. Parang, pag magkikta kami sa daan... Wala lang" 

"Para sayo, ano mo ba siya?" Tanong niya.

I smiled, "I liked him. A simple crush that led to infatuation. Eventually, I fell in love."

"How?" She asked.

"Hindi ko rin alam eh. Ang alam ko lang, ginagawa ko na lahat para mapansin niya. Para mapangiti siya. Para mahalin rin niya ako" Malungkot akong napangiti.

"So it was One sided?" Tanong niya. She sipped through her latte and profoundly listened.

Tumango ako. "Yeah", I answered sadly. "Mahal ko iyon, sobra. Iyong kahit mag mukha akong tanga, gagawin ko para lang sa kanya. Ganun ko siya kamahal. And all this One sided love is killing me... But I don't mind. I love him more to care." I explained as I gave an exhausted sigh.

Napatungo siya. Obviously, she was pitying me.

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't." I stopped her. "I'm okay. Ganun talaga. I don't know where he is right now but he'd always be with me. That's for sure." I said, smiling as if it didn't hurt.

I took a deep breath and finished my latte. I blinked my tears away as I watched her pity eyes for me.

"Baby."

Naagaw ang attensiyon namin sa lalakeng tumawag sa kaniya. She looked up at the guy and then looked back at me.

"Are you done?" The guy asked her.

"Y-yeah" She whispered quietly. Nginitian siya ng lalake at kinuha ang kaniyang bag para buhatin. Tumayo narin siya at agad akong binalingan ng tingin.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." She gestured. Tumango naman ako.

"Oh, sure. See you in Bio, I guess." I replied.

"Yeah." She nodded. Tipid siyang ngumiti. I watched the couple in front of me as the guy held her hand. I can hear him happily telling her about his day as they both walked away.

I took a deep breath as I stared at nothing. I was once again alone in my own comfort. Binaling ko sa iba ang aking tingin, trying to avoid my tears from falling.

Because at that moment, I finally knew where he was.

He was with her.